FAQs
FAQ
At Firetree, we are committed to producing single-estate, bean-to-bar chocolate of the highest standard. Our facility, in the heart of Cambridgeshire in the UK, is regularly audited to comply with Salsa food-safety standards, Kosher and Halal requirements.
We provide information about each of our products in the Ingredients and Nutritional information section on every product page and we are happy to help with any questions via our online chat or you can email the team at info@firetreechocolate.com
Q: What allergens are in Firetree chocolate ?
A: There are 14 major allergens as defined by the food information regulations 1169/2011: Cereals containing gluten, Crustaceans, Eggs, Fish, Peanuts, Soya, Milk, Nuts, Celery, Mustard, Sesame seeds, Sulphur dioxide & Sulphites, Lupin, Molluscs.
Firetree Chocolate is made in a facility that handles dairy ingredients. In order for our dark chocolate, 100% cocoa and Oat M!lk chocolate to be designated as suitable for vegans, we ensure that we use separate equipment for dairy ingredients or clean down thoroughly between batches. Whilst this meets the requirements for vegan designation, it may not be sufficient for those who have a dairy allergy, so please exercise the appropriate precautions before purchasing.
Whilst we do not currently have any products in the range that contain nuts, our ingredients may contain traces of nuts and may therefore not be suitable for those who have a nut, peanut or sesame allergy.
Allergens are shown in bold or CAPITALS on the website product pages and on product packaging.
The oats used to make our Oat M!lk Chocolate and Cappuccino Chocolate are classified as gluten-free.
Q: Why is gluten shown as an allergen in your Oat M!lk and Cappuccino chocolates if it's made with gluten-free oats?
Oat is included in the list of grains known as 'Cereals containing gluten' that make up the list of 14 major allergens outlined in the food information regulations 1169/2011. As such, it is required to list oat flour, an ingredient in our Oat M!lk Chocolate, in bold as an allergen.
However, oat does not naturally contain gluten. Gluten is usually found in oat because it is grown in very close proximity to, or on land that has previously grown gluten containing cereals (such as wheat, rye and barley). The oat seeds are also processed in mills on the same equipment that processes gluten containing cereals. In this way, oats may become contaminated with gluten from other cereals.
Food can be legally classed as gluten-free if it contains fewer than 20 parts per million (0.002%) of gluten as sold to the consumer (presence of gluten in food regulations 828/2014). The oat flour used in our Oat M!lk Chocolate, contains fewer than 10 parts per million (0.001%) of gluten as measured by our supplier. However, to declare it as gluten-free would require us to test every batch received - something we are currently unable to do and so, in accordance with food information regulation, we indicate oat as an allergen on the ingredients list.
Q: Is your Chocolate Vegetarian or Vegan ?
A: All Firetree Chocolate products are suitable for Vegetarians and most are suitable for Vegans. We advise you to check the Ingredient & Nutritional Values tab on every product before purchase. All of our chocolate is manufactured on equipment that also processes milk and nuts.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate Halal ?
A: All Firetree chocolate is suitable for a Halal diet. We are certified by Halal Certification Europe to produce chocolate. There are a few gift boxes in our range which are not Halal as they contain alcohol products or products sourced from partners who do not currently undertake Halal certification. Please check each product for specific information before purchasing.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate Kosher ?
A: The Firetree Chocolate facility is certified by KLBD to supply Kosher chocolate. There are several products that are not certified Kosher including some of our gift boxes that include products sourced from select partners. Please check each product for specific information before purchasing.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate suitable for a Coeliac diet ?
A: You should always seek medical advice from a professional before choosing to eat or not eat a particular food concerned with a diet or medical condition. We can, however, tell you that gluten is not in any of the ingredients used to manufacture Firetree Chocolate.
We do make an Oat Chocolate and Oat Cappuccino Chocolate. Both are classified as gluten-free, and this requires some explanation.
Please see above information on gluten and gluten-free oats.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate suitable for a Keto diet ?
A: You should always seek medical advice from a professional before choosing to eat or not eat a particular food concerned with a diet or medical condition. Generally speaking, the higher the cocoa % in chocolate, the lower the carbohydrate. Chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage contains increasingly less sugar. 100% cocoa has the lowest level of carbohydrates as it contains no sugar.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate gluten free ?
A: Gluten is not in any of the ingredients used to manufacture Firetree Chocolate. Please see above information on the oats used to make our Oat M!lk and Cappuccino chocolate.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate nut free ?
A: Whilst we do not currently have any products in the range that contain nuts, our ingredients may contain traces of nuts and may therefore not be suitable for those who have a nut, peanut or sesame allergy.
Q; Is Firetree chocolate dairy free ?
A: Firetree Chocolate is made in a facility that handles dairy ingredients. In order for our dark chocolate, 100% cocoa and Oat M!lk chocolate to be designated as suitable for vegans and dairy free, we ensure that we use separate equipment for dairy ingredients or clean down thoroughly between batches. Whilst this meets the requirements for vegan and dairy free designation, it may not be sufficient for those who have a severe dairy allergy, so please exercise the appropriate precautions before purchasing.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate sugar free ?
A: Sugar is added to all our chocolate except our 100% Cocoa products which have no added sugar.
Q: How much sugar is in Firetree chocolate ?
A: All chocolates will contain some amount of natural sugar from the cocoa beans. We add unrefined cane sugar to help bring out and compliment the complex flavours inherent in the chocolate. The amount of sugar added depends on the type of chocolate. The higher the cocoa % the lower the amount of sugar added.
The exact amount of sugar contained in each product is show under the Ingredients & Nutritional tab.
Q: How much Caffeine is in the Oat Cappuccino 25g & Papua New Guinea Coffee 25g bars ?
A: Both bars contain around 40 – 45 mg of caffeine per 25g bar.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate organic ?
A: Our cocoa is not organic, but we prioritise sustainable sourcing and ethical practices. We work closely with our farmers, pay them directly, and ensure high agricultural standards are met. The remote volcanic environments of our cocoa origins are naturally nutrient-rich and require little to no intervention of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
Though many of the farmers that produce our cocoa beans use organic practices to grow cocoa, they are not certified organic, so we do not claim certified organic status.
Q: Does Firetree chocolate contain traces of lead, cadmium, mercury, or arsenic (heavy metals) ?
Every consignment of cocoa beans that we buy is tested through at least one product that’s made from those beans. We test for cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic.
Only cadmium has a specifically defined legal level in chocolate under UK/EU law and to date, our results have shown that our chocolate consistently falls well below those levels. The levels for other heavy metals are more broadly defined in law. All our analysis to date has shown that levels of heavy metals in our chocolate are below the maximum safe levels designated in specific legislation for heavy metals in food and we do not consider them to pose a risk to the consumer.
Of all the islands and farms from which we source our cocoa, none stand out as being better or worse. All tests to date have indicated that the levels of cadmium and lead in our cocoa is significantly lower than the levels deemed safe under UK/EU legislation.
All our data is maintained in accordance with UK/EU regulations, and we happily share it with legal bodies and authorities whenever required.
We recognise that there has been a level of conversation around heavy metals in chocolate following an American study and consumer report from 2023. We understand that your concerns about safety should be addressed, so read on if you want a little more information on this subject.
Cadmium and lead are the heavy metals most associated with chocolate and have been studied the most. Cadmium is soil bound so the cocoa plant, Theobroma Cacao, adsorbs it during the growth cycle. This means that the levels of cadmium in cocoa grown in a particular area are consistent over time as the cadmium levels in the soil do not change.
Lead, too, is soil bound but can also be affected by the local environment. If a plantation was next to a busy road, for example, the lead from leaded petrol could increase local levels of soil-bound lead. Although their numbers are few, there are still some countries that use leaded petrol even now.
There are some scientific papers that have looked at cadmium and lead levels from a specific country. When it comes to cocoa, these studies have tended to focus on larger cocoa producing countries as there is an economic case for such a study. By looking at these studies, in addition to our own data, we get a general view of the levels of heavy metals in cocoa producing regions around the world. Studies have shown that the highest levels of heavy metals are generally found in cocoa from South America, followed by Central America.
The EU limit for cadmium in chocolate with greater than 50% cocoa is 0.8 parts per million (ppm). In some studies, cocoa from South America ranged from 0.3ppm to 2ppm, averaging around 1.4ppm. In central America, ranges have been found from 0.1ppm to 1.2ppm, averaging 0.5ppm. Most of our cocoa comes from remote islands across the Pacific, part of Asia, where, as a whole, the level of cadmium averages at 0.3ppm – well below permitted UK/EU standards.
Heavy metals occur naturally in the soil. They can also be present as a result of the industrial world we live in or past industrial practises and are, as a result, found in many foods we eat such as cereals, bread, leafy vegetables, legumes and nuts. As a craft chocolate producer, it’s important to us that we take care to ensure that the chocolate you buy from us is as safe as we can possibly make it. Knowing where our cocoa comes from, and always buying from those same farms, helps us to be confident that our tests for heavy metals and their low and safe levels in our chocolate will be consistent over time.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate high in flavanols ?
Flavanols are naturally present in cocoa beans, but the levels can vary due to a number of reason and growing conditions.
During the chocolate making process the level of flavanols is reduced as the cocoa beans go through the various production processes. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable.
The general rule of thumb is that the higher the cocoa % of the chocolate, the higher the levels of flavanols. According to peer reviewed studies, Flavanol content of 100% Cocoa can be anywhere between 50mg per 100g up to 1500mg per 100g.
We do not test our chocolate for flavanol levels, so make no claims to specific levels or claimed health benefits.
Q: Why are your 100% cocoa products not called chocolate ?
For chocolate to be called chocolate, it must contain added sugar. So our 100% cocoa shouldn’t really be called chocolate as it does not contain any added sugar, and therefore does not meet the legal definition of chocolate.
Q: What is lecithin ?
A: In food technology, lecithin is described as an emulsifier. It is generic term used to describe a substance which is amphiphilic and assists in the stabilisation of two mediums that are normally immiscible. That’s the science. What is means in practise is that it allows different ingredients to mix together that wouldn’t normally mix. The most common example is oil and water. When making chocolate, lecithin helps the ingredients mix together and to stay in place. This makes the liquid chocolate flow better when we are depositing it into the chocolate moulds.
At Firetree, we use only sunflower lecithin which is both allergen free and GMO free.
Q: Is the packaging recyclable ?
A: It's important to note that kerbside recycling varies depending on where you are in the country and you should check with your local council.
- The packaging we use to send our chocolate products and gifts to you and any packing materials or dividers, are recyclable as card and paper. Occasionally, we use bubble wrap for delicate items which is recyclable with soft plastics at most supermarkets.
- All of our paper and card product packaging is recyclable including boxes, tubes and wraps. The plastic
- The gold foil wrapping on our 70g bars is recyclable with kerbside packaging.
- The clear plastic tray in our Thins packaging is recyclable with kerbside packaging.
- The resealable bags used for our Create range may be recycled either with kerbside collections or at your local supermarket. Please check with your local council.
Items that are not currently recyclable include:
- The inner wrap on our 25g tasting bars
Q: What cocoa beans are used in Firetree chocolate ?
A: The bean types that we use are a mix of Forastero (Amelonado) and Trinitario. We source our cocoa from small farm holdings on remote volcanic islands across the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Q: Do you support Fair Trade/sustainable farming?
A: Firetree Chocolate is not Fair Trade certified. However, sustainability is at the heart of our chocolate. We know all our cocoa bean farmers personally and make regular trips to the cocoa farms to meet the farmer, to inspect the farm and to further our relationship.
We check employment records, contracts and paybooks and talk to as many employees as possible to verify what we have seen. We check the ages of employees to ensure no child labour is used. We pay the farmers directly rather than use a middleman to ensure the farmer gets more for their hard work. We aim to pay a premium above the market rate, giving our farmers the chance to provide for their families and commit to high agricultural standards. We also work closely with relevant Government agencies and independent NGO’s (non-Governmental Organisations).
All the farms we purchase cocoa beans from are family-owned and practice multi-cropping to help promote biodiversity and encourage symbiotic planting relationships and pest control. The farms are all based on rich volcanic soil that require little, if any, fertiliser.
Q: Does Firetree Chocolate use child Labour ?
Sustainable cocoa
We purchase our cocoa direct from farmers we know and visit. Before selecting a cocoa farmer/supplier, we conduct background research to establish that the farmer the legitimate owner/ leaseholder of the farm. This will reveal if the land is agricultural land or illegal land potentially carved out of protected rainforest.
An audit of the farm also reveals how the farm in managed in terms of sustainable agricultural practices such as “good agricultural practices,” multi-cropping and kitchen garden integration.
Ethical cocoa
Before we take on a farmer/supplier we establish who owns the farm, who is employed on the farm and verification of signed pay books & payment at the agreed national pay level for employees.
In the case of complex family farms, we establish who the owners and participants in the agricultural business are, and ensure the “participants”, both men and women, are aware of the agreed contract price and where and when the money for the cocoa will be paid, ensuring as much clarity and transparency as possible.
Firetree Chocolate pays over the average farm gate price for our selected cocoa, ensuring the selling price to the farmers is sustainable.
The countries where Firetree Chocolate buys its cocoa have strict educational attendance requirements for all children up to the national minimum age (15 or 16 dependant on the country). In these countries the school attendance is mandatory and enforced. Nevertheless, before taking on any farmer/supplier we will cross check with the local authorities that the potential farmer/supplier is known and registered.
During the audit we identify any person on the farm who appears to be young/underage and cross check their age against their paybook. To date, we have never found any underage people working on farms which supply us, but this action reinforces our position on child employment with our farmers/suppliers.
Finally, before we agree any supply contract, we demand the farmer/supplier agrees to the National Law of their country and do not seek to, or actually have, anyone under the national age for children working on their farm.